Man Who Attempted to Assassinate Donald Trump Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

A U.S. court has sentenced Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, to life in prison for attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a golf outing in Southern Florida in 2024.

Routh was convicted over the incident at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, where a U.S. Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from nearby bushes. The agent opened fire, prompting Routh to flee before he was arrested a short distance away.

In her sentencing decision, Judge Aileen Cannon said the seriousness of the offence justified a life sentence, noting that Routh had spent months planning the attack, showed a willingness to kill, and expressed no remorse for his actions.

Although Routh pleaded not guilty, he chose to represent himself throughout the trial, which began in September. His behaviour in court was frequently erratic, including making unrelated political references and issuing unusual statements that repeatedly forced the judge to intervene.

Prosecutors told the court that investigators recovered a semi-automatic rifle with a scope and extended magazine from the location where Routh had been hiding. Jurors also heard that he left behind documents detailing places Trump was expected to visit, along with a note describing the act as an assassination attempt.

Routh’s lawyer has confirmed plans to appeal the verdict.

The Florida incident marked the second attempt on Trump’s life in 2024, following a separate shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania earlier that year, which resulted in casualties and injuries, including to Trump himself.